The Tour
by Scarlett Siren
Summary: Every day hundreds of people tour the Volturi Castle, being lured into a vicious trap as dinner for the vampires. But imagine if one girl gets too carried away with the tour to keep up with the group; the one person of the group with a chance of living...
1. Lucky

A/N: My first Twilight fanfic – trying to escape the world of Nightmare on Elm Street for a while, little obsessed me :)

This just came to me I guess; can't explain it, just happened.

Updated 9/2/14 - I know it probably says it up there somewhere, but just to let you know, I'm still here! Just been having a busy time and a _serious_ case of writer's block.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Twilight people – I wish.

Summary: Every day, hundreds of people visit the Volturi Castle on magnificent tours, being lured into a vicious trap as dinner for the vampires. But imagine if one person lags behind; imagine if one girl gets too carried away with the tour to keep up with the group. The one person of the group with a chance of living...

Lucky

"And through here is the main dining room, where the members of the Volturi like to have their evening meal. The table before you is made of mahogany with pure silver cutlery..."

Heidi's voice trilled through the air as she led the tourists through the halls of the Volturi Castle as cameras flashed and the tap of expensive high-heeled shoes echoed against the walls. The poor naïve people held their guide booklets and read about the history as they were led down several different corridors into different rooms and were told the significance of each room.

They walked past the information desk once more and towards another direction – the direction of their deaths, as they would soon find out.

"Good morning Heidi." Gianna the receptionist said in a singsong voice.

"Good morning Gianna." Heidi replied, politely. She grew tired of Gianna's eagerness and hospitality because of the need to become a vampire – she very much wanted to drain her of her blood and get it over with. If only Gianna knew how hopeless her pleas were.

As the crowd was ushered into the elevator, one girl with a black fedora hat and a denim satchel stayed a few steps behind, her eyes glued to the pages of the book. Her eyes scanned the marbles statues, the gargoyles, and the polished wooden doors with the golden door handles... so majestic and stunning.

"Is everybody in?" Heidi called a little louder than usual, directing her voice to the lost tourist. The girl's head flew up to meet Heidi's glare, the waves of her hair bouncing against her shoulders. "You're keeping us waiting, Miss." The blood-lust rose in her, and her voice became stern and impatient.

"Oh, sorry." The girl quickly jogged to the elevator, then continued to lose herself in the pictures and the history of the booklet.

"The guests are arriving," the glint and colour in Caius' eyes was apparent, and it was clear that he was ready for bloodshed. "The smell is exquisite."

"I agree." Aro answered the eager Volturi Master with a small smile and a glint in his eye. Caius smirked as well. He was going to enjoy this.

As Heidi led the tourists to the Volturi leaders, the girl stayed behind as the group went into the great hall. She smiled as she examined the pictures again and again, relishing in the beautiful culture. She looked up, and she was alone. The doors were closed and her group had left her.

"Damn," she cursed softly. "I'm such an idiot."

She began to quicken her pace when sharp screams from behind the doors pierced through the air like fireworks. For a second, she thought that it was an attraction; a part of the tour. But they didn't sound happy, like a scream someone makes on a roller-coaster. They sounded painful. Those were screams of ultimate horror. Thank God she had lagged behind. 'What is going on!?' she thought hurriedly.

Terror sprinted through her veins like a shot of adrenaline. She wanted to scream, but the sound couldn't quite reach her lips. The screams eventually died down, making way for the sound of dripping. She had no clue what was going on, but she didn't intend to stay and find out, as she heard the loud tapping of heels against marble.

Heidi.

She looked around for a way to escape. She ran to one of the pillars and hid behind it, putting her hand over her mouth to quieten her breath. She knew she didn't have much hope of surviving, but she could at least try. If they were going to try and kill her, she wasn't going down without fighting.

The doors swung open, revealing Aro and Caius walking in step with Heidi and Alec flanking them. Aro stopped and licked the remaining blood from his lips.

"Thank you for that, Heidi," he said smoothly, and lifted her hand to kiss it. "It has been a while since I last had a truly delicious feeding."

'Feeding?' The girl thought. Then she realised… the screams of those tourists. 'No. It can't be. I'm fucking crazy.'

'Were those people… food?'

Her mind couldn't comprehend what was happening. She stared at them as they talked to one another, and drank in their striking features. Their pale skin. Their ruby red eyes. Their white… sharp… teeth…

'Vampires?'

She couldn't believe it. They couldn't be vampires! They didn't exist... but she couldn't think of a rational explanation. So for now she decided she would call them vampires.

The vampires were deep in conversation, when Caius sniffed the air. "Aro..." He tapped him on the shoulder. Can you smell that?"

The girl held her breath. 'Shit.'

Aro didn't have to smell the air to understand what Caius was implying. "It seems we have missed one of the group. Heidi?"

Heidi remembered the straying girl. "Yes. Tall girl, about 16 or 17 years old; probably a student. British. Long wavy hair and the attention span of a gnat." She finally spat out.

That was it; time to run. The girl turned her head, searching for an escape. She spotted an archway in the wall leading to yet another corridor. She ran for the archway, dropping her satchel and booklet.

The noise was enough. The vampires turned and strode towards the archway as the girl ran. She turned a corner, and opened the first set of doors she could see. She rushed into a large bedroom and closed the doors behind her, then stopped to catch her breath.

The girl, hiding in the en-suite bathroom, breathed rapidly and loudly. She trembled as she heard a clunk of footsteps walking down the corridor. The door creaked open and they slowly drew nearer. Whoever it was, they were playing with her, she thought. 'Trying to make me so frightened that I'll come out with both hands up... And this is the part where I think "Two can play at this game" or something else corny.' But she knew for certain that she couldn't play the game – she was terrified, and she had no confidence to come out and defend herself. She was dead for sure.

"Hello?" The voice belonged to Aro. He spoke softly in a calm and almost friendly tone. 'His voice sounds like bells – like Heidi's' she thought. Evil or not, they were by far the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen. There was a long passageway that separated the bedroom and the bathroom. It wouldn't be long before she was found.

"There is no need to hide dear. If your smell was not so attracting, your hat would have given you away."

She'd dropped her hat by accident as she came in. She closed her eyes and leant her head back against the wall, silently chiding herself. 'Idiot.'

"Silly girl, aren't you?" He carried on in his silky tone. You could _hear_ the smile in his voice. "You've nothing to fear, my dear. I shan't hurt you. Please, show yourself to me."

He was a mere few feet away from discovering her, and he wanted her to show herself? 'He's toying with me still.'

She sunk to the floor, and tears slid down her cheeks. She cried softly, frightened of what might happen to her if she came out.

"Now, there's no need to cry, my dear. I give you my word for your safety."

She looked up a little. His word was the only hope she had at this moment. She had to take it. "Okay..." Her voice was barely a whisper. She stayed where she was, as the dark haired vampire entered the bathroom, and looked down at her. She didn't meet his gaze, too afraid that he might burn her with his eyes.

"It is alright now," He bent down and held out his hand. She slowly looked at him, and took his hand. He helped her up, and she wiped the tears from her eyes. "What is your name, cara mia?"

She looked at her feet, and bit her lip. "Bambi..." she said quietly. 'Stupid name.' She coughed and looked him in the eyes. "My mum is a Disney fan." She muttered, embarrassed.

Aro just smiled at her. Bambi lost herself in his eyes for a moment, and then asked, "So, you're not going to kill me?"

"No, cara mia," he swore. "You can trust me."

She stood up slowly, questions forming in her mind. "A-are you..."

He understood what she meant. "Yes. We are vampires."

"So, all those people in the great hall, and... the screams... the blood..." A few more tears escaped her eyes.

"We feed on humans, and this is the most efficient way of a meal."

"So... why aren't you going to kill me?" Her mind screamed at her, scolding herself. 'Why did you say that!?'

He pondered for a moment, and then smiled once more. "My dear, just because we are vampires, that does not mean that we are absolutely merciless. It is seldom that we let a human live, but we could make an exception. You could be of use to us." She raised an eyebrow, and then nodded slowly. 'How?' She wondered. But she couldn't ignore the interest in his eyes. Maybe she would make it out of this alive.

He walked down the passageway with Bambi trailing behind. She picked up her hat on the way, along with her satchel and booklet. "I will take you to see the Volturi Guard now. All three of the Masters must make the decision of your fate."

Bambi nodded again, still a little afraid. Then her mind went back to the booklet. She had read about the Volturi Masters. "You, Caius and Marcus... Is that right?"

Aro nodded, smiling to himself, but said nothing.

She nodded back, then took a deep breath as she stood before the large oak doors, anticipation coursing through her veins. The doors slowly began to open...


	2. Fate

Fate

'You can do this. Show no emotion. Don't be embarrassed... and pinch yourself to check if you're dreaming' Bambi thought as she walked slowly into the hall, a few feet behind Aro. She felt several sinister glares fall onto her and she suddenly felt a lot more self-conscious. Her gaze stayed stuck to the floor as she stood before the Masters Caius and Marcus.

Then, she brought up enough confidence to look them in the eyes. Marcus' face was full of depression, and he look creepily resigned, his eyes locked into space. Caius' expression was that of a school teacher's. Deadly and glaring, as if she was in trouble... and she was. She felt as though Caius' ebony glare was burning a hole through her face.

In fact... that was peculiar. She gazed at the vampires in the room; their eyes were jet black. When she saw the vampires earlier, their eyes were ruby coloured. So what could have changed... 'Maybe,' she thought, hoping she was wrong. 'Maybe black means… hunger. I mean even without thinking about the eye colour, everyone's staring at me like I'm a crispy bacon sandwich.' She gulped.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as Aro addressed the Guard. "This is the survivor," he exclaimed. "Her name is Bambi," she cringed as she heard that name. "And I've brought her here so that we may decide her fate." His voice quietened as he looked at his peers and went to sit in his throne, leaving Bambi looking like... well, Bambi.

"Bambi," Caius said with a smirk. "Interesting name. It's Italian for little... girl..." he spoke the last two words with emphasis and looked down at her with disgust. "The name suits you." He spat, and lay silent. He looked to Marcus and Aro. They discussed amongst themselves quietly for a while – there was no need as all of the vampires in the hall could hear them. It was purely for Bambi's sake.

She stayed exactly where she was, shivering a little and fumbling with the ends of her jacket. More tears fell down her cheeks, and she wiped them away quickly. Oh, how she hated to show signs of weakness – 'Too late now' she thought. 'Being caught was enough.'

The Volturi leaders turned their heads back to Bambi was, and Aro stood, clapped his hands once and smiled sweetly. "Cara mia – you shall live," relief rippled through her. "But... there are a few – shall we say – conditions that you must follow."

Bambi nodded her head.

"How long are you in Italy for?" He asked first.

"A year..." she mumbled. She cleared her throat. "I'm on a gap year before University."

"Very well then. I'm afraid you must stay with us during that period. We cannot have you telling anyone in Volterra about us. In England, such things may not be believed, but here... News spreads like wildfire. There are many fortune tellers and such that will bet their lives on that truth. We will have to murder an awful lot of journalists and newsreaders – and you wouldn't want to be held responsible for their deaths, would you?"

Bambi nodded slowly. 'Though it's fine for you to murder innocent tourists' she thought.

"And secondly..." he paused and walked up to her slowly so he was gazing deeply into her eyes. "You will eventually have to become one of us."

Bambi blinked. A vampire. She would have to become a soulless blood drinking creature like them. She'd never be able to talk to anyone else without being discovered or questioned. Her friends... her mother... she could never speak to them or see them again. What would happen to her in the sunlight. Would she burn? And the fact that she'd have to live with the people in this room – these beautiful hatred filled creatures – made her heart beat faster.

She was deep in thought when Aro spoke her name. "Bambi?" She looked up at him, fresh tears brimming in her red swollen eyes. "I must have your agreement, cara mia."

She looked deep into those raven eyes. She swallowed some saliva caught in her throat, she whispered "I agree."

Aro smiled. "Welcome to the family, little girl." He bowed his head a little, regaining composure. Then, he held out his hand. "I have to power to read a person's thoughts through skin contact. I would very much like you read your thoughts now, it could be very interesting for me." He said, holding back some truth. He stared at her. "May I?" She gave him her hand and he took it, folding his other hand on top. He concentrated hard, with a look of almost wonderment on his face. A few minutes passed, and all the while Bambi felt the vampires' eyes boring into her. A vampire to her right let out a hiss at one point.

After he had finished, he called for a member of his guard. "Demetri," he said, calling his tracker forward. "Please show her to a room," Demetri stepped towards Bambi, but her eyes did not stray from Aro's, who still held her hand. "We shall meet soon cara mia."

He let go of her hand and she followed Demetri out of the great hall and down the corridor she had run down. Her bedroom was the same that she had hidden in previously – 'How suitable' she thought, cringing a little.

Demetri left without saying a word, although Bambi knew that he glared at her before he left.

She stood there for a while, staring at the door. Her life had changed forever in the space of 15 minutes. She didn't flinch, she didn't cry – she just stared, and her breathing became a little ragged. She shut her eyes for a moment... and the next thing she saw was the ceiling of the room. She was under the bedcovers and her shoes had been taken off. She'd also been dressed in a silk night dress. She looked at her watch – four hours had gone by. She must have fallen asleep but... who put her under the covers? And who'd clothed her? She felt slightly afraid at the thought of someone touching her like that. She wondered who'd done it, but she didn't know whether to feel cared for or violated... did it matter? She was trapped in a castle full of vampires. She had to focus on the bigger picture.

She wondered when she would be changed. 'The sooner the better' she thought. She didn't like the idea of everyone's eyes turning onyx every time she entered a room. What was it about her that made everyone hungry? Everyone had fed only a few minutes before. She would have to ask about it.

She heard a knock on the door. She pulled it open, revealing the little blonde haired girl that had hissed at her before. "You are to get dressed. Master Aro will be with you shortly." The girl said promptly.

As she turned to go, Bambi said "Sorry, what's your name?"

The girl turned back around. "My name is Jane. Be sure to remember it, little girl." She strode down the corridor and turned the corner.

Bambi closed the door. "'Little girl'" she said sternly. "Sometimes I hate my mother."

She searched through the closet and inspected the fine dresses and ball gowns... much too spectacular for her. She found a short black dress and put it on. She found a full length mirror and gasped – the last time she'd worn a dress was at her parents wedding 10 years ago. She was 6 years old at that time. Even at the prom, she'd come dressed in jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt. But now... she looked beautiful. She'd never thought herself as pretty, but now she felt like she owned the wardrobe of a Queen – in fact, that's probably what she had.

After running her fingers through her hair to try and look presentable, she heard a gentle tap at the door and Aro came in, his eyes turning black once more as her scent filled the air. He had to admit that it was one of the most attracting scents he'd ever found on a human, and he had to resist the urge to drink her blood – instead, he put on a smile and tried to control himself. He remembered what he had said to Caius earlier that day, to try and keep control while feeding.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

"Good afternoon Bambi. Did you rest well?"

"Y-yes, I did thank you..." she smiled back, trying not to seem too nervous. "I-I have a question," Aro signalled for her to continue. "W-what should I call you?"

He smiled once more. "Well, when you become a member of the Guard, it is permitted that you call me Master or Master Aro. But for now, Aro will suffice."

Bambi nodded. Aro gestured her to exit and he escorted her down the corridor.

"Are you hungry Bambi?" He asked politely, swallowing the venom rising in his throat as his hunger grew.

"A little..." she trailed off, biting her lip. She hated it when people did things for her. She didn't like to rest her needs on others. Despite her uneasy attitude, she was an extremely independent person. Especially since her mother became ill with cancer...

"Well then, I'll show you where the kitchen is." He said, swallowing once more. Now _he_ seemed the more uneasy one.

Bambi thought for a moment, then said softly, "Why don't you try holding your breath?" She smiled. Aro gave a polite smile, holding back laughter, and did as she said. It helped a little, and he patted her on the arm in thanks.

Bambi allowed herself to giggle a little at the sight of him.

She was sat at the very same dining table she'd been shown earlier, as Aro himself cooked her a meal. 'Funny, I thought they'd have servants or something.'

10 minutes later, he returned with a plate of spaghetti bolognese, along with the silver cutlery and a napkin.

Bambi suddenly realized how hungry she actually was, and dug in straight away, trying to use what little etiquette she knew. Aro didn't stare straight at her, but it was as if he was examining her. When she finished, he went to clear the plate away. She stayed sat at the table, as if awaiting him to tell her what to do next. After all, one day he would become her Master.

He re-entered the room and gestured for her to stand up. She did so, looking down at her feet once more. Aro held out his hand and she placed hers in his. He read her thoughts once more, eager to uncover the truth behind her nervous shell. There was a faint thought in the back of her mind that he couldn't quite grasp, couldn't quite make sense of – due to repression and therapy, he discovered. He would have to ask her.

"My dear – there is one past thought that... strayed amongst the present thoughts. I understand that you may not want to rediscover it, but it is very strong and I am merely curious." He didn't have to continue – he saw the unease and the hidden fear flicker in her eyes.

'Past thoughts?' She wondered for a moment, then it clicked. He must have been referring to what had happened to her just two years ago. She thought about it every day – it never escaped her thoughts. "I... it's not a pleasant memory."

"Please, tell me more." He said in his gentle tone as he led her out of the room, her hand still placed on his.

Her head swirled. No. Not that memory. She couldn't think of that again. She couldn't bring that thought to light once more.

"Well, um..." 'Come on, confidence. Please, show some fucking confidence for once in your life.' She scolded herself, forgetting that Aro could still hear her. "When I was 14, I-I was kidnapped, and... sexually abused..." the words didn't roll off her tongue with ease. She felt more tears descend down her cheeks, and she wiped them away quickly. "Now you see why I took therapy." She mumbled with a small smile, trying to forget about it.

They toured the castle for the next hour – a real tour this time – and Aro described every thing they saw in much more detail than Heidi did. He kept persisting about that forgotten memory, wishing to learn more. He liked to know everything about the people he knew, and over the years he had become quite skilled at interrogating.

Of course, she ended up telling him everything. Every emotion she felt, every action that her kidnapper did, every tear that was shed by her and her family; How she had barely escaped with her life, having to spend months in and out of hospital and being questioned by police and reporters; How she'd come close to suicide, and how people at school had whispered behind her back, giggling, sneering. She was grateful to the people who'd avoided her. "I still have trouble trusting people and talking to people. My attacker wasn't caught, so I find it hard to sleep sometimes." Then a previous question came to light. "Who – if you don't mind me asking – dressed me earlier? I woke up in a silk night gown."

"That was me. I didn't want you sleeping in jeans, and I felt it best that I do it because you'd feel less uncomfortable if I did it."

She smiled shyly. "Thank you." Then she asked the big question on her mind, knowing Aro would be expecting it.

"When am I going to be changed?"

Aro became serious. "Very soon, my dear. The longer you stay human, the more danger you're in."

Yet again, his eyes misted over. "Yes, I can see." She said, looking at his eyes.

He swallowed, trying to hide his bloodlust. He smirked. "I apologise. You do have an extremely attracting scent, cara mia. In truth, one of the most desirable scents I've ever smelt." He was close to slipping out of control. Spending an hour with this girl was like a human that was trying to quit smoking spending an hour with a pack of cigarettes. Craving.

He leaned towards her and inhaled her fragrance deeply. When he opened his eyes, they were wide and darker than anything she'd seen. He was practically leering at her.

She took a step back, afraid, and he took a step towards her. He kept walking towards her until she was trapped against a wall. He opened his mouth showing his glinting... white... fangs...


	3. Breakdown

Breakdown

"No, stop! Please!" She cried out. Aro closed his eyes and came to his senses. The lust he'd endured had been stronger than any he'd sensed before. It was remarkable. He couldn't believe how wonderful she smelt. She might as well have had blood pouring everywhere, the scent was so strong.

Bambi gasped and cried, and sunk to the floor. She was terrified, but didn't run for fear of being found by another vampire. She knew that no matter where she went, she'd always be in danger. Besides, she was shocked. Her brain wasn't functioning just yet.

She buried her head in her arms and sobbed. Aro looked down at her and bent his knees until he was level with her.

"I am... truly sorry, my dear. I will strive to control myself in future."

He gently placed his hand on her arm, and read her mind. She wanted to be left alone. He could see how much distress she was in. He knew the truth about why she was in Italy and the little details she had missed out. Of course he knew. But he also understood why she had kept those details to herself. Even a soulless monster like him could understand that some things are difficult to say out loud.

He also knew that she didn't blame him for it. He was glad of that. He did not usually care what others thought of him, but it was comforting to hear that the interesting girl he'd spent the afternoon with did not hate him. And to him she was truly fascinating.

He stood up gracefully and promptly left her to her thoughts.

She looked up as he left. Her crying increased until she nearly screamed. What had happened to her life? The things at home were more fucked up than here – which seems hard to believe – but that little episode had freaked her out a lot.

She thought deeply for a while. She thought about Aro's near attack and _why_ she smelt so good. She could tell he was very alarmed at his momentary loss of control. She wanted to know why. Hadn't he experienced this before?

And she thought about her mother at home. She thought about how much she loved her but at the same time how much she hated her. Her mother was showing early signs of breast cancer, and after seeing Bambi's father die of cancer, she always tried to forget she had it by 'getting together' with lots of men. She'd completely forgotten about her daughter. Bambi could take care of herself, of course, but the only time she saw her mother in the day was for a couple of hours after school, where she'd be dressed in nothing but underwear and a tank top. Then she'd go back to the bedroom to 'forget.'

Comparing that to the Volturi, she knew which was worst. At least there was someone to talk to here; Even if he had tried to kill her.

She thought about that for a while, then stood up slowly and managed to find her way back to her bedroom. She was sure that Aro would see how she was doing later. She was almost certain that he'd been embarrassed by that episode and he would come to apologise. She wasn't psychic but she could read people very well. She knew that he was a gentleman, from his behaviour and the way he acted around his peers. She guessed that something darker was bubbling under the surface... which she could also tell from his behaviour this afternoon.

And yet she felt as though he were her only friend in the world. Her old friends stopped hanging out with her since she became a 'freak.' She knew she couldn't dismiss him, no matter what he did. Not for now anyway. She had to grab on to any friendship she could, even if she would be in danger. She'd been completely vulnerable ever since the attack when she was 14. Before that she'd been bubbly and trusting. Now, she was a mere shell of what she'd once been, and for 2 years she'd longed to be the person she once was.

Maybe Aro could help her with that. He'd been so kind and interested in her life. Since everyone had stopped talking to her at home, she was quite shocked to find friendship after so long; especially as she'd found it in an ancient and supposedly evil vampire.

She shook her head and snapped out of her thoughts. She shouldn't think about it now. She needed to clear her head and try to face him again. Maybe he was sorry.

She rushed into the ensuite to take a shower. Afterwards she towel-dried her hair and looked again in the wardrobe at the elegant dresses that she was sure would NOT suit her. That black dress had to be a one-off.

"Oh well." She sighed, and dived into the collection, trying to find something near casual. She found a red dress which kind of reminded her of the dress out of the Kellogg's adverts, only shorter and made of silk. She tried it on.

"Huh." She said thoughtfully, standing in front of the mirror."Maybe it wasn't a one-off." She said, smiling to herself. 'If I ever get back to my normal life, I have to wear dresses more often. Then I could show that bitch Hannah' she thought, remembering her best-friend-turned-enemy. She felt so small in vest tops and leggings compared to Hannah and her Armani dresses and high heels.

Now she felt a little better. She realised she'd be rid of her enemies and bullies for all eternity. Well, her old ones at least.

She waited on her bed for half an hour, expecting that Aro would come and see how she was. But he never came.

She stood up and opened the door, peering along the corridors. Nobody. Maybe she could find him.

She closed the door behind her and cringed as she heard the tapping of heels approaching from around the corner.

'Heidi?' She thought. But another figure appeared from around the corner.

A young tall woman with long curly brunette hair wearing a blue dress came into view, and when she spotted the human standing nervously, she looked at her with questioning eyes.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

Bambi looked down at her feet. "I was just going f-for a walk. It got a little lonely in my room."

"And you think we're here to offer friendship?" She asked, but in a joking way. She didn't seem as cruel as the others. She smiled at the trembling human and walked towards her, holding out a hand. "I'm Renata."

Bambi looked up at her, and shook her hand. "I-I'm guessing you already know my name." She said, with a small smile.

Renata giggled. "Yes. I must say, you made quite an impression on Master Aro. He seemed incredibly interested in you." Then she looked a little guilty. "I'm sorry for the glare I gave you in the hall. I have to keep up appearances. I'm not as... harsh, shall we say, as the rest of the guard."

Bambi was the one to look questioningly now. "Why not?"

"Well, I shouldn't really be telling you this, but... I'm against the pitiless manner in which we live. I was changed and brought into an evil coven who murder innocent people for their sustenance. I have no choice because it was what I fed on as a newborn vampire, so I became addicted. If the members of the guard found out about my true feelings towards the Volturi, I would be shunned and maybe even killed."

The human blinked. "Wow. So... not all of you are evil." Then she sighed. "I'm glad there's someone on my side. I'm sure everyone else must hate me. Especially Jane – she didn't speak to me very nicely earlier."

Renata rolled her eyes. "She's the worst of the guard – she has the biggest temper. She was changed a brat, and she's always been a brat. But don't worry. I'm definitely on your side."

She smiled. "Thank you."

Renata smiled too. "But enough about me for now. You must be feeling awful, are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm actually feeling okay. Did you hear of what happened this afternoon?"

"Yes, Aro has been in his study for a while now. He is probably thinking of a way to approach you – he does not like to be embarrassed by his thirst."

"Yeah, I guess he does care about his manner. I don't know why he was so nice to me though, I would have expected the leader of a ruthless coven to be... well, evil."

She was gently pulled along the corridor as Renata took her arm and walked with her.

"I'm not 100% sure of that... he is well known to be courteous but I've never seen him with this much politeness about him."

"Hmm..." Bambi thought for a moment. Then she came back to reality. "Does anyone else know about you?"

"Only Master Aro. If I couldn't confide in him, I'd probably be dead by now. He takes the stress off my life and I don't have to pretend around him."

Bambi looked surprised. Of all the people she could confide in, she chose the highest and most feared member of, what is in effect, royalty. Then she remembered. His power... "I remember now, he can read thoughts."

She nodded. "Yes. And it is very useful to us. The thoughts of vampires pasts can reveal more than they had wished to share, and can become their downfall. Master loves knowledge and has developed quite a skill for interrogating as well, and while it isn't really needed, he uses it in his torture games."

She looked at Bambi's shocked expression. 'So he _can _read past thoughts. Wait, that means he already knew... "Can you explain exactly what he can do?" She asked, not wanting to be kept in the dark.

"He can absorb and read all thoughts a person has ever had through skin to skin contact." She caught her shocked reaction and smiled gently. "He has learnt to conceal most details to himself so we are not extremely embarrassed, but it is a great tool against enemies."

"So... I was part of some sort of torture game?" She asked harshly, a tear forming in her right eye.

"No! No, you weren't – like I said before, he loves knowledge, and if he finds anything interesting he relishes in it."

"But he didn't have to question me! He dragged out so many hidden memories that I thought were stored to the back of my mind, thoughts that I never wanted to think again. And he had the nerve to make me go through the pain, just so his curiosity was fed!" She ran from Renata and tried to remember the way to Aro's study, which he has shown her earlier. When she got to the large oak door, she knocked roughly on the door, and after hearing a calm voice call out "enter" from the other side, she opened it.

Aro saw a tearful and very distressed Bambi enter the room, with a look of both anger and fear on her face.

"You... forgot to tell me the full extent of your 'ability,' didn't you!" She said, crying a little harder but not standing down.

Aro looked a little concerned and said, "I am sorry cara mia. I should have told you first of all." He was lying of course. He had enjoyed his interrogation. It always gave him such satisfaction.

She shook her head. "I don't believe you. You know about everything that I went through, and you've experienced it now as well. Tell me, if you were me, how would _you _feel?"

Suddenly his expression went dark. "I know one thing for certain, and it is that you should lower your voice and think carefully about what you say, unless you want somebody to hear you and cause an... accident."

Her voice went meek and she was reduced to her quiet self, but the tears still fell down her cheeks. She felt so much pain and anger welling up inside of her that she thought she'd explode... but her fear drowned them and took over her form as she stood there, trembling. She knew that with one word, he would hurt or possibly kill her.

"There. That's better now, isn't it?" He stood from his desk and walked slowly towards her, placing his hands on her arms. She took this moment to think 'Whatever you do, don't blame Renata. It's not her fault. I had the outburst. All she did was tell the truth. Blame me.' He looked down at her tearful eyes, with only a small glimpse of anger left. He could feel her emotions whirling inside of her head and felt a small occurrence inside of him that felt like sympathy, that he quickly brushed aside.

Then, without thinking, he pulled her into a small embrace as she stained his suit with fresh tears. She didn't care any more if he'd made her cry. It wasn't his fault she'd been raped...

Renata stood at the door and bowed her head when he caught her eye. Bambi looked at her and smiled softly, walking past her towards her room. Renata smiled back, then turned to her master after she left.

"I'm sorry, master."

He waved his hand. "It is alright, my dear. I understand the reasons for her outburst. I expected one to arrive soon."

She nodded. "Is there anything else you need?"

"No, thank you." He said politely, as she turned and left the room.

Aro went to sit back in his chair, and he pondered for a while. He'd felt sympathy for the first time in years, and it was quite surprising. But then he deciphered, this was the longest he'd spent with a human without killing them or having them taken off his hands. Her qualities ignited a feeling in him he'd kept locked away for years. And it felt... different.


	4. Skill

Skill

Bambi stayed in her room for the rest of the day, thinking and daydreaming – which she did frequently. Aro was one of her only two friends at the castle, and she felt _afraid_ of him. And now she was sure she'd feel awkward around him as well. It would be weird seeing him, but he had become a lifeline, as well as Renata.

Renata… thank God she wasn't like the rest of them. She seemed lovely and inviting, unlike the hateful stares she'd received from the other vampires. It was funny to think that this had all happened this morning. It seemed bizarre how fast her life was moving and changing, and as well as the current situation, it was strange having friends again.

Her thoughts returned to Aro once again. She thought about him most because he was most difficult to read. And the fact that he was beautiful and charming was a huge attraction to her as well. God, how long had it been since she had been approached by a beautiful man, who seemed interested in her, and didn't go on about what a freak she was?

Then the same thing that happened every day came. She thought of the incident two years ago, which she thought about at least 10 times a day, and she began to cry - again, something she did frequently. Her confidence had all but shattered during the 'incident,' and she'd never managed to get any back. So she released her anger and upset through tears. It just seemed like the easy thing to do.

She knew one thing for sure about Aro that was in her favour. He liked to hide his true intentions. As long as she was careful of what she did and said, she would be safe. Unless he had a momentary lapse of blood-lust control again - Okay, well, mostly safe. She would just try to run if he tried to bite her again… what else could she do?

Through the thoughts and confusion in her head, she drifted off to sleep. The next morning, a light rapping on the door woke her, and Renata walked in with a tray.

"I made you breakfast." She chimed, smiling.

Bambi could smell the flavours wafting from the tray, and she sat up in her bed as it was brought to her. "Thanks." She replied, smiling meekly.

"Are you alright after yesterday, dear?" She gave Bambi a concerned look, which looked genuine. 'Thank God,' Bambi thought. For the first time in years, there was somebody who cared about her.

"I know Master Aro can be frightening sometimes, but remember that he is a gentleman. If you behave accordingly, he should not harm you."

She nodded weakly. "I know. It doesn't erase the feeling of dread in my gut though," She sighed, and then averted her attention towards the full English breakfast on her lap. "This smells really good." She said, trying to change the subject.

Renata nodded and smiled, understanding. "I will come back in a little while to collect your dishes." She stood up and glided out of the room, Bambi's gaze following her out.

"Thank you…" She whispered.

A while later, after a long shower and an even longer choosing of an outfit, (definitely a Queen's wardrobe, or someone very important, Bambi had decided) she searched through the books on the ornate bookshelf in the corner, which she hadn't noticed before. There were books of all kinds. Fiction, non-fiction, science, biographies… But Bambi went straight to the fiction, as she loved to escape the real world through incredible stories. She scanned through the different books, finding classics like Wuthering Heights and Phantom of the Opera. She glanced at the titles as her fingers danced along the spines.

She chose 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland,' which was her favourite book as a child, and dived straight in. She loved to read. It was the most fun thing for her to do at home, seeing as her mother couldn't afford a computer or a TV, and she didn't have any friends. She spent a lot of time at the library, and went there as often as she could. She would miss that…

But look where she was now. It was like her own private library. She would no longer receive sympathetic glances from the librarian, and mocking looks from the stereotypical high school jocks. She sighed and savoured the positive aspect of her imprisonment.

She had gotten through four chapters, when once again she heard a knock on the door, and he appeared.

Aro. Awkwardness captivated her being, and she strived to keep a straight face, and hoped she wouldn't stare at the ground too much.

He just smiled at her as she sat up and closed the book, looking like she'd done something wrong. "Oh, um… I hope you don't mind, I, er, borrowed a book." She spun her legs to the side of the bed and put the book back on the shelf.

"That is quite alright, my dear. That is the reason it is there, for books to be read from it." He walked over to the bookshelf and inspected the books. "Does anything in particular take your fancy?"

"Well, nearly all of the fictional books do. I love these stories. Sherlock Holmes and Emma and Jane Eyre… I've read all of these. But this is my absolute favourite." She took out Alice's Adventures in Wonderland once more, showing the cover. She smiled, and then realized she'd spoken about four sentences without hesitating. The smile disappeared, replaced with a look of pleasant surprise.

"I agree," He said politely. "I do find fiction fascinating. And I understand perfectly why you like to read it."

He was referring to her life back home. She knew now that he knew everything about her, and although she felt a feeling of invasion, she said nothing, and looked down at her feet.

The attention she was giving her feet disappeared when Aro suddenly tilted her head up, and looked into her eyes.

"Today, Bambi, I think it is time that you were acquainted with the rest of the guard."

'Oh God.' The sentence made her shudder. "Um…"

"Do not worry. They will not harm you without my command."

That made her feel a little better. She would just have to try and keep her mouth shut. The things that she'd said to Aro the day before had almost cost her her life.

Aro escorted her out her of bedroom, and they walked down the corridor, the short silver heels she had found in her wardrobe rapping against the floor, which (she had hoped) matched her white 'cotton-voile' 'knee length' dress (she had read on the label).

A dark-eyed Felix and a black-eyed Demetri opened the large oak doors of the hall. Bambi wondered whether their eyes became this colour frequently, or if she had something to do with this. She didn't like to think of what the answer might be…

Aro un-linked his arm from hers and strode ahead to his throne with a smile on his face. He stopped at the stone steps, clapped his hands together and turned to his guard.

"My faithful friends. I am happy to formally introduce Bambi as a soon-to-be member of our coven. My wish is that you will not harm her during her time as a human, unless I command so." With that, he stretched his arms towards Bambi as if to say 'here she is'.

The coven nodded politely - their eyes getting more shadowed every second – except for Renata, who walked towards her with a smile and hugged her. Bambi smiled and hugged her back, surprised at this kind act.

"I can't wait to see you as a vampire," Renata said affectionately. "You will be so beautiful!"

"Thanks," Bambi replied with a smile. "I wish I could think that."

She looked at the faces of the surrounding vampires. Jane looked sour. Alec looked bored. Caius looked murderous.

"M-may I go please? I don't like the colour of everyone's eyes at the moment." She asked Aro politely.

"Of course," he said, and tilted his head. "Renata, keep her company."

"Yes Master." She said. She did a small curtsey, then turned to Bambi and smiled, taking her hand and walking with her out of the hall.

"Renata, how can you stand my scent?"

"I test myself. Sometimes I sit through a feeding and try to resist drinking any blood."

"H-have you succeeded before?" She hoped that she had.

Renata smiled. "Yes, my dear. Many times. You do not have to worry around me. And don't worry about Jane and Alec. Once you become one of us, they will warm to you. As for Master Caius… well he doesn't like anybody, least of all humans, so I wouldn't bother trying to win him over.

"I'll bear that in mind." Bambi giggled a little.

"Come, I want to show you something." She led her down several corridors, and into a large room with mirrors on every wall. It reminded Bambi of the ballet class she took before the 'incident'. She wondered if she still had any skill.

"And look." Renata walked over to a corner of the room where a CD player lay. A stack of CDs was placed beside the player, and Bambi began to browse. Apart from obvious classical CDs, which she had been expecting, there were beautiful songs amongst them as well. Songs she recognised. Songs that were barely a few weeks old. Songs she loved.

She inserted a CD, and Charlene Soraia's version of Wherever You Will Go started to play. She began to sing along without thinking, and lost herself in a world of song. Before she knew it, she was singing along beautifully to the chorus, whilst dancing. She danced so gracefully that Renata was amazed that such a timid creature could hold such gifts.

Suddenly, Aro appeared in the doorway and watched her dance and sing. She was oblivious to the two vampires watching her with such interest and intrigue.

No hesitating. No stumbling. Just… talent.

The song finished, and so did she. She looked up at the vampires, one with her mouth open, and the other with wide curious eyes and a slight grin on his face.

For him, it felt like Christmas. It felt as if he could only ask for one thing to happen that year, he would ask to hear her sing and watch her dance.

It was strange and new to him. And he loved it.

She blushed and looked down. "Sorry." She mumbled.

"Do not be sorry, my dear. That was beautiful." Aro confessed.

"I agree, it was magnificent!" Renata chimed in.

"Renata, could you leave us please?"

She turned, nodded and left with a smile on her face.

Aro stepped towards Bambi and held out his hand. She placed her hand in his, allowing him to read her thoughts. She would just have to cope with the fact that this was the norm: no questions asked.

"Cara mia, your skill is truly astounding. I wonder…"

She took this moment to be brave. "What are _you_ thinking, Aro?"

This made him smirk. "I am thinking about your powers as a vampire, Bambi." He spoke her name as if she were an angel or a saint. His feelings towards her were certainly getting stronger, and he was determined to find out why. He would have invite Eleazer to the castle. Hopefully he could inform him of Bambi's power.

"P-powers? I could have powers? I-I've been singing since I was a little girl, and I took ballet lessons, maybe that's why I'm so good. Why do you think it could be a power?"

Aro smiled at her, and said, "Nothing for you to worry about, my dear. Now, are you hungry?"

She nodded and walked with him to the kitchen, where she saw a human girl of about her age cooking.

"Hi." The girl said, and smiled at Bambi.

"Hi…" Bambi said, confused. She wasn't here yesterday.

"Bambi, this is Alaya, our chef." Aro announced. "She is… new."

'New'… Bambi couldn't help but think of the sinister meaning behind that word. She could probably guess what happened to the old chef.

She looked at Alaya, her olive skin, her long flowing skirt and flowing wavy black hair that ran down her back. She was beautiful, and so young.

I wonder when they would dispose of her. Not soon, Bambi hoped.

She got to know Alaya better whilst she ate. She was told of her life. She and her young brothers were orphans living on the street. She managed to take care of them for a while, but they developed illnesses and they died. She was found in an alleyway, near death, by Felix who had brought her back to the castle. She was nursed back to health and she agreed to earn her keep by working in the kitchens.

She hoped she would get to know Alaya better. She seemed nice and friendly.

She wondered how long that would last.

After she'd finished eating, Bambi returned to the dance studio (she presumed it was called) to sing and dance once more. Aro watched her quietly from the doorway, out of sight, getting more and more curious by the minute. Why was he developing such strong feelings for this girl? This shy, timid rabbit in the headlights, who just happened to be extremely good and singing and dancing?

It wasn't love. Aro knew this. The feelings were too strong, too possessive, to be love. It had to be an inkling of her future powers, surely.

He walked back into the great hall and sat beside Caius and Marcus.

"We must invite Eleazar to fully confirm what her powers will be. She is getting more intriguing every second I am near her."

"As irritating as I find her," Caius sneered, "I agree. I found her singing to be strangely entrancing."

This convinced Aro that she was special. Nobody, not even his wife Athenodora, could move or impress Caius.

He sent a letter to Eleazar immediately, and waited for a reply. Of course, Eleazar agreed.

Aro could not wait to discover the child's gifts…


	5. Pain

Pain

"Welcome, Eleazar," Aro greeted politely as Felix led him into the great hall. "I trust your journey was pleasant."

"Yes, thank you, it was." Eleazar replied. Due to the urgency of the letter he had received, he had taken the red eye. He knew that Aro had a tendency to get over excited, especially when it came to potential powers in a human or vampire, but this did seem more important than usual. "The human in question will be arriving shortly, I presume."

"Yes. I have sent Demetri to fetch her."

As if on cue, the large oak doors opened, and Bambi (in yet another Queen's dress – Bambi started to think if the coven even knew what jeans _were_) and Demetri entered the room. Bambi looked at the stranger with curious eyes. She wondered who he was and why he was here.

"Cara mia, I would like you to meet Eleazar. He is a former member of the Volturi and a dear friend to us."

The stranger walked towards Bambi with a smile and held out his hand, palm upwards. "Hello, my dear. And your name is?"

She placed her hand in his and spoke shyly, still curious. "Bambi."

Aro could sense that she was confused, and he cleared things up for her. "Eleazar is here because of my curiosity. You see, he has the power to tell what power other beings have. I hoped that he would be helpful in finding yours, my dear."

"Oh… Okay then." She said, smiling a little. She wondered why Aro was so obsessed with finding out what her 'powers' were. Was he just looking for a way to beat boredom? Or did he have an ulterior motive?

"So, my friend, do you have any conclusions so far?"

There was a pause as he studied the girl, her hand still in his. "I think so." That was all he said. He let go of her hand and walked back towards the thrones to hold out his hand for Aro. Aro took it, and Bambi saw his eyes widen in delight. What had Eleazar seen? Was it anything special? 'Then again,' Bambi thought, 'what could be so special about _me_?' Apart from the singing and dancing, she couldn't think of any particular skill that would make her useful. Well, not useful enough for a powerful vampire clan anyway.

…So why was he still smiling?

The two vampires spoke quietly for a moment. Eleazar nodded at Aro and headed for the door. On his way out, he lifted Bambi's hand. "It was a pleasure to meet you, my dear." He kissed her hand, and left.

She looked up at Aro, still with a kid-at-Christmas expression. "What did he find?" She asked. She had to know.

He stopped to think for a moment, and then walked towards her. "Do you remember the tour?"

She remembered it all too well… She nodded.

"Do you remember what you felt when you first saw Heidi?"

Yes. Yes she did remember. She remembered how her beauty had swarmed her, and how lovely and inviting Heidi had seemed. She remembered how she felt as if she wanted to do nothing more than go on the tour that she was being offered. She told Aro this, and he replied with a sentence that stunned her.

"The gift that you possess is similar to hers, only yours is much stronger."

'Wow,' was all she could think. "So, I… attract people. Is that the right word?"

"Yes, in a way. Heidi's attraction is derived from beauty. Yours is created whenever you sing, or whenever you dance. Also, the scent of your blood is rather sweet, although I doubt this will occur when you have been changed."

This surprised Bambi greatly. She had never thought of herself as attractive. She didn't think of herself as pretty, she never wore attractive clothes back home and she didn't particularly act in an attracting way. She never flirted with anyone; in fact she never even looked at boys anymore. This power was everything she wasn't.

But something else stuck in her mind. "But, h-how would that benefit you?"

"It makes you very intriguing, I must admit. I could use you. I think you could become a very important part of my guard."

"R-really? Me?" 'How on earth could _I_ be important?'

Aro was curious as to what she was thinking in that moment, and he held out his hand. She placed hers in his.

"You really must stop thinking so little of yourself," he said with a certain seriousness to his tone. "It is irrational."

This was something she disagreed intently on. "I don't f-feel it is." She looked down at her feet once more.

"I understand what you went through was horrific, cara mia, but you must try to overcome it. It has been two long years, after all."

That hit a nerve. Suddenly she looked up at him and removed her hand from his. "I'm sorry, but you have no idea what I went through." All the nervousness disappeared, and her old confidence returned. "I have tried to overcome it. I try every day. And it never works. It just turns me into a sobbing shivering wreck. My school didn't offer counselling. My mum didn't have to money for a private counsellor, and I couldn't talk to her because she was too busy sleeping around!" The confidence outburst turned into an angry rant. She didn't care what he did to her afterwards. She needed him to hear this from her own lips and experience, instead of stealing memories from her mind. "And It doesn't matter if it's two years, two decades or two centuries, I will NEVER stop thinking about it. It was the worst thing to ever happen to me, and I would appreciate it if you stopped talking about it!"

She stood a few feet away from an emotionless Aro. He was going through the thoughts hitting him. Partially, he was amazed that the fiery Bambi had made her second appearance. He did like her very much.

But, his place of power and leadership was being shamed by her words. He did what he felt he had to do.

In a second, he flashed towards her like lightening. His hand clasped around her neck and shoved her hard to the ground. She screamed as her head hit the marble and her blood began to spill. The pain was excruciating, and it made her feel extremely dizzy. Aro's face was full of burning anger, and she became very frightened.

In the next second, she was being held in the air, feet from the ground, barely able to breathe.

The rage in Aro's eyes was so tremendous, Bambi felt like they would burn into her skull.

He threw her at the wall, and she landed in a trembling heap. She felt the back of her head. Her hand was now covered in blood. She looked up at Aro once more. He was storming towards her.

"No, please! I'm sorry, please, don't hurt me!" She pleaded with him helplessly. She tried to get up and run, but it was too late. He grabbed her wrist, and started licking the blood off of her hand. The cold moist touch of his tongue sickened her.

Then, he bit into her wrist. She screamed harder than she'd ever done in her life. She felt as if all the strength was draining from her. He knelt down and continued sucking her blood. "Stop… please…" She struggled to speak. She felt her eyes closing, and her consciousness began to disappear.

Finally, he pulled away. She was barely awake when he leant down to whisper in her ear.

"You will not talk like that to me again, cara mia. Do you understand me?"

She just nodded, gasping for breath. Tears rolled down her eyes and mingled with the blood on the floor. An ocean of red was the last thing she saw when she gratefully passed out.

**Later**

"Well, brother. By the sound of it, you finally gave her what she deserved." Caius sat in a mahogany chair opposite Aro in the library, conversing over the morning's events.

"I punished her for speaking in a harsh manner towards me. It doesn't matter how I feel about her, she will succumb to any other human's treatment, Caius. I have never changed the way I work."

Caius scoffed. "I'm just annoyed that it took you so long. I would have started the moment I met her."

Aro smiled. "The next time she misbehaves, I will bring her straight to you, does that satisfy you?"

"Very much." He smirked. "I will leave space in my diary."

A knock on the door interrupted them. Renata entered the room, with a sullen look on her face. "I'm sorry Masters. Bambi is not well enough to eat at the moment. I think she is a little traumatised from the events earlier today."

"I do not care if you have to force feed her, Renata, just make sure that she eats." Caius sneered. "Keeping an alive human captive is much more useful than keeping a dead one."

"Very well." She nodded her head. She left the room.

"Renata." Aro called her back in. "Tell her that I'll be visiting her later. No exceptions."

She paused for a moment, knowing that this may cause dismay on Bambi. Then nodded. "Very good, Master." Then she went to tell Bambi the Masters' wishes.

"So, what are you planning to discuss with her, Aro? Alice's Adventures in Wonderland?" He said sarcastically.

"No, brother. As much as she infuriated me earlier, I do not want our entire relationship to be built on fright. I will not apologise to her, but I shall show that I have composed myself, and I will warn her not to speak in that manner again."

"I would carry on torturing her if I were you…"

"Yes, Caius. I know full well what you want to do." He said, smiling.

**Later**

Bambi lay in her bed, awake but unmoving. She was no longer tired as she'd had a long nap, but she was still very much shaken. Obviously, anyone would be, but his actions once again reminded her of her time with her captor. Of what he did to her…

It was too much this time. She wasn't just a little afraid of Aro anymore. She was _terrified_ of him, of what he was capable of. He knew that she was incredibly sensitive, but he didn't allow for her outbursts. And she didn't know how to control her outbursts. They just came from nowhere – completely out of the blue. All the rage that she kept bottled up inside and hid with a smile. Tears weren't enough. She needed to scream.

Renata had come in earlier, and had told her to eat, adding Cauis' 'subtle' threat of force-feeding. She obliged. She didn't need another vampire dead set on breaking her. She'd also been given the news of Aro's visit, which had involved a mild panic attack. She hoped that he wouldn't hurt her again. Not today, anyway.

She lay on her side and shut her eyes, hoping to drift back to sleep, where she could forget about the real world and the dangers that she would have to face. Ten minutes later, she felt a breeze, but thought that it was just the window, and tried to sleep again. Then she could sense a shadow across her face. She opened her eyes to face Aro, and immediately she jumped out of bed. She pressed her back up against the wall as he walked towards her slowly.

He became very close to her, and she shut her eyes, waiting for an attack. But all he did was clasp her hand to read her thoughts, as he always did.

He learned of her feelings of the attack, and about the similarities to her captivity in England, which fascinated him yet again.

"It is quite alright, Bambi. I will not harm you." She opened her eyes and looked at him, still on her guard.

"R-really?"

"Yes, cara mia. And I will not harm you again during your stay here, if you behave accordingly. What possessed you to speak to me like that earlier?"

She shook her head unknowingly. "I guess you just hit a nerve. I'm sorry."

He nodded. "That's better. Now, how is your head? And your wrist?"

'Extremely painful.' "They're okay." She'd forgotten that he was still holding her hand. "Well, not okay exactly. Renata washed all the blood out for me, but the cut's pretty bad."

"It will heal soon, I am sure." He could still feel the tension and fright in her. He felt that she would always feel this way now.

He didn't mind that.

Aro kissed her hand. "I shall see you later. I hope you will come down to the kitchens for breakfast, yes? Oh, and do try to hold your tongue, my dear. Caius is much more vicious than I when it comes to causing pain. Believe me."

She gave him a frightened look. He walked out of sight. She heard the door open and close.

Then she sunk to the ground, and sobbed uncontrollably.


	6. Calm

Calm

She didn't sleep that night. How could she, with so much confusion spinning through her mind? She hated the way Aro kept changing his personality. One minute he seemed friendly and kind. Then he would become someone to fear. She couldn't understand it.

Part of the night was spent flicking through the ways she could die in her head: -

Aro could kill her.

Caius could kill her.

Jane could kill her.

Any of the assorted stony-faced guard could kill her.

A vampire from another coven could kill her.

God forbid, she could end up killing herself.

In her head, they all seemed possible. The only person she could trust was Renata. But she would still keep her guard up. Renata could turn nasty like Aro, and she would hate herself for falling into another trap.

And there was somebody else - Alaya, the chef. Alaya was the only human in the castle, and the only one closest to her age, when she thought about it.

Then she realised she was hungry. She hoped someone (hopefully Renata) would come and take her to kitchen.

She walked to the door and tried the doorknob. No good, it was locked. That was to be expected. Her belly rumbled and she began to think of the spaghetti she had when she first arrived. She sighed happily. "Where are you Renata?" She said quietly to herself, twirling a strand of her hair.

The door opened 10 minutes later, and Felix came in.

"I assume you're hungry?" He said with a smirk, referring to the whale sounds coming from her stomach.

Bambi blushed. "Sorry."

He laughed. "No matter. Come on."

She slid herself off the bed, and walked out of the door with Felix grasping her arm. The smell of pancakes hit her nostrils a few minutes later. It occurred to her that she hadn't eaten for quite a while.

As they entered the kitchen, she saw Alaya hard at work. Alaya stopped for a minute to acknowledge their entrance, then continued, cooking more pancakes for the already large pile.

"Alaya," Bambi began, "Are these all for me?"

She nodded. "You are hungry, no?"

"Yes, but you've made enough for the entire castle." She said jokingly. Then thanked her, and began to eat.

Alaya finally stopped cooking, and sat at the table for a rest.

Bambi looked at her quizzingly. "Aren't you going to have some?"

She shook her head. "They are for you." She smiled.

"Come on, you must be hungry as well. You have my permission." She joked again. She walked to counter and put two on a plate. "What do you want on them?"

Alaya open her mouth to protest, then felt her own stomach make sounds much like Bambi's. "Lemon please." She replied.

They ate in silence for a while. After they'd finished, they talked.

"So, how do you cope with it?" Bambi asked.

Alaya's eyebrows creased. "Cope with what?"

"The whole vampire situation?"

She smiled. "I cope fine. As long as I am allowed to live, I do not mind what happens… how are you coping, Bambi?"

She looked down at the scar on her wrist, encircling it with her fingers a few times. Then she looked up. "Honestly, I've been better."

"It will be ok." She put a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "I am sure of it. Aro, he has good in him. He won't kill you if you are good, I know."

She sighed. "I hope you're right." Then another thought came into her mind. "Have they hurt you?" She didn't mean to be so blunt, but she was worried about Alaya. The only reason Alaya was around was because of her, because she needed human food. Alaya didn't have any powers or anything that Aro might find significant to the Volturi. She was worried about what might happen to her.

Alaya hesitated before answering. "Sometimes… Caius…" She stopped. She didn't need to say anymore.

"I understand."

They talked long into the afternoon, deciding to venture towards more positive topics.

Felix arrived to take Bambi back to her room. At her door, Felix informed Bambi that Aro would visit her later.

To this, Bambi replied with a quiet "ok", then closed the door. Oh God. 'Keep calm. Remember to breathe. Remember what Alaya said. Just don't get angry again!'

She would be calm and she would act happily. She would not freak out, and she would not release her feelings in the way she did yesterday. And she would not cry. She would NOT cry.

So, what to do for the next few hours. Instead of heading for the bookshelf like she normally did, she opened her satchel and pulled out her scrapbook. She normally took it with her everywhere. It was an idea proposed by one of her counsellors, though how it was supposed to help her mentally she had no idea. Still, she enjoyed looking back over her happy memories.

And if she ever made it out of this alive, she decided it would be a good idea to document this time of her life. She sat down on the bed. She pulled out her marker pen, and began to write.

"**August. Day unknown. I have a feeling I won't forget this time of my life easily. The time I went on a tour in Tuscany, which led me into a castle full of vampires. Not exactly a passing blip of my life.**

** So far, the only two people I can count as my friends are Renata, a kind vampire who is different to the others somehow, and Alaya, the only other human I know. I feel so close to her at the moment. I hope the closeness lasts. Aro seemed nice at first, but little did I know how harsh his methods of punishment are. It was my fault really. I shouldn't have shouted at him like that.**

** Then there's Caius. He really doesn't like me. I'm scared of him. But he hasn't hurt me. Yet. The rest of the guard don't seem to like me either, especially not Jane. But Felix seems okay. He hasn't glared at me or anything yet. He's sort of emotionless really. I'm glad. It's better than hate.**

** I've been reading a lot. It's my main form of entertainment. And I've been thinking a lot. Too much really… I need to learn how to stay out of my head. I'm sure I'll update this again soon. No photos I'm afraid. A) I don't really want pictures of these memories, and B) I'm too scared to ask for a camera."**

**Bambi.**

She signed her signature as she always did at the end of an entry. Then she looked back over her memories. The good ones.

When she got an A* in English Literature. And another. And another.

When her older brother had a baby. He had moved to Australia 2 years before the incident. He couldn't visit Bambi because he was too busy looking after his sick pregnant wife.

When she went to the fair with her mum. One of the few days she was fully dressed, sober and out of the house.

She looked back over the small handful of happy memories in her scrapbook. And she clung on to them, and savoured them. And wished she was that happy now.

She flicked back to the current page, proof-reading her entry.

"You have the makings of an author, bambina."

She jumped at the sound of his voice. 'Don't you dare cower,' She thought to herself. She inhaled steadily. "Really?"

He walked around the bed to stand beside her, looking over her shoulder. "Yes. You could write fictional stories." He smiled kindly.

She couldn't believe his smiles anymore. "Thank you. I enjoy writing." She paused. "Is there anything important I need to know?"

"No," he replied coolly. "I decided to see how you were, cara mia, that is all." She kept her eyes on the page, as if waiting for permission to look up. "You do not have to freeze your limbs around me, Bambi. I will not hurt you without cause."

She hadn't noticed that she'd tensed her body up quite noticeably. She forced herself to relax, and looked up at him. "Sorry."

"There is no need to apologise. It is quite understandable."

She closed the scrapbook and put it and the pen back in her satchel. She stood and put the satchel back next to the bookcase. She turned to see Aro with his hand outstretched. "May I?"

Without hesitation, she placed her hand in his. She didn't want to cause any friction.

"I see you have been talking with Alaya." He pronounced her name with an Italian accent, which Bambi found beautiful. She nodded. "I am glad you have found a sense of… companionship in her."

He let go of her hand, and she wondered if he really was glad about this. She doubted it.

He walked a few steps away from her. "I have something to discuss with you."

She looked up. "Yes?"

"I would like to discuss with you when you would like to be changed."

"Oh. W-when you say changed, y-you mean… into a vampire?"

"Yes, my dear."

She gulped. "D-do I get to choose when?"

"Within a margin, yes."

She thought for a while. "Well, when were you thinking?"

"I was thinking within the month, as your scent is making my guard, somewhat, uncomfortable."

That was a bit of a bombshell. "W-within the month? Really?" She sat down. "I didn't think it would be that soon."

He sat down beside her. "I understand your sadness, but I promise you, you will find your new life to be much better than this one."

"I hope so." She muttered. "It's just… it's going to be so different."

"Yes, it will be different. But in time, you will learn to accept it."

She sat there in shock. "I hadn't really thought about it. I mean, becoming a vampire. I-I-I…" she stopped herself, unable to form another word. A tear escaped her eye. "Ugh. Here I am, crying again." She put her head in her lap.

A few brief moments passed while she sobbed gently. "Why don't you sing?"

She looked up at him, rubbing her eyes. "Sing?"

"It makes you feel better, does it not?"

She nodded. "I guess it does. I'll give it a try." She thought for a moment, and then began to sing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow'. She was about to sing 'skies are blue' when she noticed Aro's eyes, and the way he shifted uncomfortably. "I-I forgot. My powers…"

"Do not worry, cara mia, you are not in any danger."

"Still, I think I should stop, just in case." She stood and turned to face him. "I'm feeling happier now, really."

Aro was disappointed. He wanted to see the further effects of her powers. But he would not cause a fuss. She hadn't done anything wrong.

"Very well. So, do you agree with my timing, bambina?"

After a hesitation, she replied cautiously. "Yes. I-I would be okay with being changed in less than a month. But there's so many things I'm going to miss. Breathing. Eating. Having a heart beat…" She sniffled and composed herself. "I'll be okay. I'll get over it. To be honest, my human life hasn't been that impressive anyway." She smiled jokingly. "B-but, w-would I have to, you know, drink human blood? I mean, all those people on that tour were b-basically your d-dinner, weren't they?"

She couldn't figure out why she was stuttering so much, and bit down on her fist to shut herself up.

"Well, yes. That would be a requirement, but we will go through all of the formalities later, cara mia. But I am assured with the fact that you will be a stunning addition to the guard." He smiled in a funny way that Bambi didn't like. He stroked his fingers against her cheek, wiping away a few tears, and left the room, locking it behind him.

She stood bemused for a while, and then went into the bathroom to wipe away the last of her tears. She hopped into the shower and turned on the water. She dived into her head, once again a colossal mass of confusion and terror. So she was to become a vampire, in 31 days or less. GOD why hadn't she planned a specific day? Now it was to surprise her. She would wake up one day soon and discover that today would be the day.

She sighed and started applying shower gel. When she got to her chest area she felt something funny. Some kind of bump 'Hang on. That's new.'

'Oh no…'


	7. Trance

Trance

It had been two weeks since Bambi had found the lump in her breast. And it had been two days since she had been seen by a local doctor. Everywhere she went since then, she replayed the events of the last two weeks in her head.

ll

After the discovery, she rinsed herself off. She had gotten out of the shower somewhat quickly and rushed to the mirror, to double check. 'It can't be!'

There was definitely something there. She panicked. Her breathing increased and she began to hyperventilate. She sat on the toilet seat and rested her head on her lap, dry sobbing and trying not to faint. Her father. Her mother.

And now her.

Once she had calmed herself down, she fell into a sort of trance. Her mind wandered and she performed her tasks half-heartedly. She dried herself, dressed herself (without being picky about her outfit - she chose the first thing she grabbed), dried her hair and applied her makeup, all without paying attention. It was like she was dreaming. Then she sat in her chair, frozen.

An hour later, Renata entered the room to find a zombie-like Bambi in the chair by the window.

"Hello, my love," she said quietly, shaking her gently by the shoulders, believing she had merely been daydreaming instead of thinking about dying for the past hour. A little life flickered back into her eyes. She looked up at Renata with tired eyes and a creased forehead. She looked afraid. "Bambina?" She sounded concerned. "What is wrong, my love?" No answer. "This is peculiar. You would have normally stumbled over your words by now." She said, humorously.

She bent down in front of her till they were at the same level. "Bambi." The girl looked past her. "Look at me, Bambi." She obeyed. Renata scanned her eyes, trying to zone in on what was wrong with her. Perhaps she had gone mad? Or maybe she had fallen into depression?

In less than a day, that seemed unlikely.

She stood up, holding on to Bambi's hands. "I need to take you to Aro. He is the only one who can discover what is wrong with you, my love." At the mention of his name, Bambi's head snapped up. But she remained silent. She nodded and stood, linking her arm in Renata's.

When they reached the great hall, the doors swung open, ready to receive them. Renata took her straight to the Masters, without glancing at the guard once.

She unlinked her arm from Bambi's and curtseyed. "Master Aro, there is something wrong with Bambi. She is unlike herself, as I'm sure you can see." She looked to the girl whose eyes lay transfixed into space. "She won't speak to me. She's barely showing any emotion. I'm worried."

Aro stood and walked to Renata with an angelic smile on his face, and gently took her hand. After a minute or so, he nodded, kissed it and turned to Bambi. He placed a hand on her back, careful not to touch her skin just yet. She slowly turned to look at him, shivering a little. He stared at her for a while, trying to gage what was wrong, as Renata did.

"Cara mia." He said, smoothly. "Would you mind giving me your hand, or would you rather voice your concerns?" He was giving her an honest choice - no malice or sarcasm intended. 'She will be a very powerful vampire indeed.'

Without hesitation, she gave him her hand, not yet having the power to speak. She gazed at his face as she watched realisation wash over him as well.

"I see." He looked thoughtful. "Would you like to speak privately?"

She pondered for a moment before nodding. 'What's the worst that can happen?' she thought. 'I'm dying anyway.'

He led her out of the great hall to his study and shut the door behind them. Without bothering to sit down, he began. "You have found a lump?"

She nodded again.

"Do you not realise that this is not important, my dear? You will be a vampire within a month. This will be irrelevant."

She murmured something incoherent under her breath.

There was a pause. "Pardon?"

"I want to wake up." She said, dreamily.

He said nothing.

Her eyes darted from left to right. Then she looked up at him. "I want to wake up and be back in England. Back when I was well. Back when I never knew about vampires. I was going to live a long, happy, _human _life."

She did not say this angrily. She was merely explaining.

Then the trance wore off. She turned around and walked hurriedly out the door.

"I have to go. I have to wake up." She walked to where she thought she remembered the lift was. Aro, of course, was not far behind her and with a blink of an eye, he was in front of her.

"Where are you going, Bambi?" He said in a patronising tone.

"I want to leave! I want my mum. I want to tell her I love her!" She screamed in his face. "I don't want to die. And I _don__'__t _want to be like you!" With that, she ran, all trace of trance gone.

He let her run for a little while. Oh, how fun she was.

She turned a corner and awkwardly took off her heels as she ran further and further into the centre of the castle. After a few minutes, she noticed that she was lost. She came to a dead end, a doorless corridor with a window at the end.

She got to the window and heard footsteps. Then they stopped. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

Three slow claps filled the air. "Brava. You tried, cara mia. You tried."

She turned around slowly, afraid to meet his eyes. But she did. And he looked _very _happy.

He took slow steps towards her, which Bambi found painful to behold. She felt the familiar surge of anticipation rush through her. And it hurt. She pressed her back against the window, praying that she might break through it, but to no avail.

When he finally reached her, she was shivering so much she could have powered an electric toothbrush. But she had not cried. Maybe the earlier discovery had numbed her tear ducts.

She looked him straight in the eye and tried not to appear frightened as he lifted his hand to her cheek and stroked it.

"My, my. No tears? That is rare. You have changed so much in just over an hour, my love. You are no longer a snivelling coward. Just a coward."

This emitted a sob from her throat. It hurt her because it was true. She had been a coward for years.

"No, no." He put a finger to her lips. "You were doing so well. Let's not ruin your progress."

He played with one of her long golden curls.

"I did hope that it would not come to this. I had hoped that you would behave. But I made a promise, and I must keep it, bambina." He ran his other hand down her arm and grabbed the crook of it a little too tightly for her liking and practically dragged her to a dark room in a part of the castle she had never visited. It reminded her of Dracula's bedroom. Stony walls, dark wood, satin sheets.

He let go of her and turned to leave her in the room while she examined it, bemused.

Then she realised he was leaving. "What are you doing?"

He turned to face her.

"What's going to happen to me?"

He walked towards her with a look of faint admiration, and a hint of possession, on his face. Ignoring her question, he said, "Such a beauty. I think I shall savour it."

And with that, he leaned towards her and kissed her.

It happened so fast that she did not have time to react with a level head and instinctively kissed back. A small part of her had wanted this to happen.

Then before she could break the kiss, he broke it.

Bambi staggered back. "Why-"

But Aro shushed her, smiled and left the room locking the door behind him.

Bambi rushed to the door. "Aro, please!" She banged on it. "Please, let me out! I'm sorry! Please!" She cried. Finally. "Just tell me why I'm here…"

To her surprise, she got a response.

"I will tell you."

With that, she bolted away from the door and shrank into the corner.

That was not Aro.


End file.
